643 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Warning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:
the engine will not run
there is a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem
there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make sure the SmartKey is in
starter switch position 2 and automatic
locking is deactivated (
page 223).
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.i
The automatic transmission will remain
locked in position P and the SmartKey will not
turn in the starter switch if the consumer battery
is disconnected or discharged. See information
on the battery (
page 634) or on jump starting
(
page 639).
i
To signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, turn SmartKey in
starter switch to position 2 and activate the com-
bination switch for the left or right turn signal in
the usual manner – only the selected turn signal
will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard warn-
ing flasher will operate again.
!
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, please note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and
the SmartKey in starter switch position 2, or
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button (
page 317)
in position 2, the vehicle doors lock if the left
front wheel as well as the right rear wheel are
turning at vehicle speeds of approximately
9mph (15km/h) or more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm (
page 76).
To prevent the vehicle doors from locking, deac-
tivate the automatic central locking
(
page 313).
Towing of the vehicle should only be done using
the properly installed towing eye bolt. Never at-
tach tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to vehicle
chassis, frame or suspension parts.
644 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleInstalling towing eye bolt
1Cover on right side of front bumper
1Cover on right side of rear bumperRemoving cover
Press mark on cover1 in the direction
of arrow.
Lift cover off to reveal the threaded
hole for towing eye bolt.
Installing towing eye bolt
Take towing eye bolt and wheel wrench
out of the vehicle tool kit in the trunk
(page 611).
Screw towing eye bolt clockwise into
its stop and tighten with wheel wrench.Removing towing eye bolt
Loosen towing eye bolt counterclock-
wise with wheel wrench.
Unscrew towing eye bolt.
Store towing eye bolt and wheel
wrench in the vehicle tool kit in the
trunk.
Installing cover
Fit cover1 and snap into place.
669 Technical terms
ABC
(A
ctive B
ody C
ontrol)
Active, computer-controlled system
that hydraulically adjusts the suspen-
sion at all four wheels in response to
various driving situations.
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Accessory weight
(
page 526)
Adaptive Brake
Brake system that is coupled with
->ABS, ->ESP and ->BAS. Adaptive
Brake takes driver and vehicle charac-
teristics into consideration, thus
achieving an optimal braking effect.ADS
(A
daptive D
amping S
ystem)
Automatically adapts the optimum sus-
pension damping to prevailing driving
conditions.
Advanced TPMS*
(T
ire P
ressure M
onitoring S
ystem)
The Advanced TPMS monitors the tire
inflation pressure in all four tires. A
warning is issued to alert you to a de-
crease in pressure in one or more of
the tires. Tire inflation pressure inquir-
ies are made using the ->Instrument
cluster control system.
Airmatic
Automatically selects the optimum sus-
pension tuning and ride height for your
vehicle. Airmatic consists of two com-
ponents:
Adaptive Damping System
Vehicle level controlAir pressure
(
page 526)
Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.
A-pillar
Front connecting pillar between the
roof and the vehicle body (->B-pillar,
->C-pillar).
Aspect ratio
(page 526)
Bar
(page 526)
BAS
(Brake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
670 Technical termsBAS Plus*
(B
rake A
ssist S
ystem Plus)
A system based on radar sensors for
providing brake support in situations
where there is a risk of collision.
BAS Plus is activated in hazardous situ-
ations by stepping quickly on the brake
pedal. During the process, the brake
force is adapted depending on the
proximity to the vehicle in front.
Bead
(
page 526)
Bit
(Binary digit)
The smallest unit of digital information.
Bit rate (MP3)
Measurement of transmission speed.
Indicates the number of ->bits trans-
mitted per time unit.Bi-xenon headlamps
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more in-
tense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-xenon headlamps produce low beam
and high beam.
B-pillar
Center connecting pillar between roof
and vehicle body (->A-pillar, ->C-pillar).
Bluetooth
Standard for short-range wireless tech-
nologies, suitable for transmitting
voice and data. It is possible to connect
Bluetooth devices wirelessly.
Bluetooth technology uses the freely
available ISM (Industrial Scientific
Medical) wireless network that works
at 2.45 GHz. Ranges of up to ten
meters are possible with Bluetooth.CAC
(C
ustomer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service cen-
ter, which can help you with any ques-
tions about your vehicle and provide
assistance in the event of a break-
down.
CAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control ve-
hicle functions such as door locking or
windshield wiping.
CD
(C
ompact D
isc)
Digital storage medium in disc form.
CD-R
(C
ompact D
isc R
ecordable)
->CD which can be written to once and
read many times.
CD-RW
(C
ompact D
isc R
ew
ritable)
->CD which be read and written to
many times.
672 Technical termsDVD+RW
(D
igital V
ersatile D
isc R
ew
ritable)
->DVD which can be read and written
to many times.
Dynamic Rear View Monitor*
The Dynamic Rear View Monitor is an
optical parking aid. It shows you the
area behind the vehicle on the
->COMAND display. In addition, the Dy-
namic Rear View Monitor contains
guide lines to help you with reverse
parking and parallel parking. The Dy-
namic Rear View Monitor is also called
“Park Assist” in ->COMAND display.
EBP
(E
lectronic B
rake P
roportioning)
The EBP enhances braking effective-
ness by allowing the rear brakes to sup-
ply a greater proportion of the braking
effort without a loss of vehicle stability.ELCODE
(E
lectronic Code
System)
System that electronically checks
whether a person entering or driving
the vehicle is authorized to do so. It is
part of the Mercedes-Benz anti-theft
protection program.
Electric parking brake
Protects the vehicle from rolling away
when parked. The electric parking
brake is also called “Parking brake” in
->multifunction display messages.
Emergency call
This function places a call to a local
911 provider. It does not initiate a
->Tele Aid call. Please note that the
911 emergency call system is a public
service. Using it without due cause is a
criminal offense.
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and stamped on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
®(Electronic S
tability P
rogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem’s threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
674 Technical termsInstrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.
ISO9660
A standard file system for recording
data on CDs.
Joliet
Standard for recording data on CDs; an
extension of ISO 9660.
KEYLESS-GO*
System for entering and operating the
vehicle without the use of a SmartKey.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.Kilopascal (kPa)
(
page 527)
LED
(Light E
mitting D
iode)
Semiconductor element that converts
electricity directly into light.
Line of fall
The direct line that an object moves
downhill when influenced by the force
of gravity alone.
LOGIC7
® surround
Multichannel surround technology
from the professional audio industry
that plays back 5.1 and stereo record-
ings in surround sound. LOGIC7
® cre-
ates a natural 360° sound experience
on all seats.
Locking knob
Knob on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the locking knob down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door.Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles)
Maintenance service indicator in the
->multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. The Maintenance
System in your vehicle tracks distance
driven and the time elapsed since your
last maintenance service, and calls for
the next maintenance service accord-
ingly.
Maximum load rating
(
page 527)
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
(page 527)
Maximum tire inflation pressure
(page 527)
Memory function
Used to store three individual seat,
steering wheel and exterior mirror posi-
tions.
676 Technical termsPCMCIA
(P
ersonal C
omputer M
emory C
ard
I
nternational A
ssociation)
Portable memory cards designed to be
inserted into laptop computers to en-
able additional functions.
PIN code
(P
ersonal I
dentification N
umber code)
Your PIN code prevents unauthorized
persons from using your ->GSM mobile
phone. The PIN code is a number
string, which you have to enter when
switching on the telephone.
Poly-V-belt drive
Drives engine components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing:
Engine
Clutch/torque converter
Transmission
Transfer case
Drive shaft
Differential
Axle shafts/axles
PRE-SAFE
®
(Pre
ventive Occupant Safe
ty System)
Vehicles equipped with PRE-SAFE
®
take preventive measures when the
system senses certain driving dynam-
ics suggesting a possible accident.
Production options weight
(
page 527)Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between standard operationS and
comfort operationC.
PSI
(P
ounds per s
quare i
nch)
(
page 527)
PUK
(Personal U
nblocking K
ey)
Must be entered if the wrong ->PIN was
entered three consecutive times.
Recommended tire inflation pressure
(
page 527)
REST
(Residual engine heat utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.
680 IndexAquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Armrest 448, 450
Ashtrays 456
Aspect ratio 526
Audio (COMAND) 104
CD mode 111
DVD mode 111
MP3 mode 111
Audio (Control system instrument
cluster) 248
CD changer 249
DVD changer 249
Audio DVD
Fast forward/rewind (COMAND) 113
Menu overview (COMAND) 110
Pause function (COMAND) 112
Stop function (COMAND) 112
Auto-dimming, Rear view mirrors 334
Automatic climate control 424
Adjusting air distribution
(COMAND) 230
Adjusting air flow from air vents
(COMAND) 233
Adjusting air volume (COMAND) 230
Adjusting the footwell temperature
(COMAND) 232Air recirculation mode 431
Central climate control menu
(COMAND) 231
Central menu for rear climate control*
(COMAND) 234
Defrosting 429
Operating the rear climate control*
from the front 234
Operating via COMAND 229
Rear window defroster 430
Selecting Mono mode
(COMAND) 232
Setting temperature (COMAND) 230
Setting the temperature 429
Setting the temperature in the rear
passenger compartment 435
Switching cooling on or off
(COMAND) 231
Automatic headlamp mode 255, 343
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 349
Automatic locking when driving 313
Automatic shift program 374
Automatic transmission
Accelerator position 373
Automatic shift program 374Emergency operation (limp-home
mode) 377
Fluid 661
Fluid level 497
Gear ranges 372
Gear selector lever 367
Gear shifting malfunctions 377
Hill start assist system 374
Kickdown 373
Program mode selector switch 374
Shifting procedure 369
Starting the engine 359
Steering wheel gearshift control 375
Transmission fluid 497
Transmission positions 370
B
Backup lamps
Replacing bulbs 622
Bar 526
BAS 71
Batteries, SmartKey
Checking battery condition 311
Replacing 619
Batteries, SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Checking battery condition 311
Replacing 619